A LOUIS XVI SEVRES BISCUIT MEDALLION IN A GILTWOOD FRAME

This lot is offered without reserve.

HUBERT DE GIVENCHY La place François 1er ne sera plus la même depuis que Maurice Segoura, mon ami, l'a quittée. Depuis plusiers années, j'avais le bonheur de lui rendre visite et bien souvent de rêver devant des très beaux meubles et objets tous choisis avec un grand sens de la beauté et aussi de la qualité. C'était partir à la découverte et à cette 'chasse' à l'objet rare. Petit à petit cela nous donnait le bonheur de créer autour de soi un environnement de belles choses. Maurice se retire avec discrétion "sur la pointe des pieds", sans tambour ni trompette après avoir donné à ses amis un immense bonheur car aller chez lui, le rencontrer, parler de beaux objets était aussi un privilège même si nous n'avions pas pris de décision malgré notre tentation. À présent les choses ont changé. La place François 1er n'aura plus le même charme qu'avant mais le souvenir restera pour tous ces moments merveilleux que Maurice a su nous donner. Merci cher Maurice. Place François 1er will not be the same now that my dear friend Maurice Segoura has retired. For many years, I have taken great pleasure in visiting him at his gallery, and so often have found myself dreaming in front of one of the many beautiful pieces of furniture or objets d'art there, each chosen by him with an innate sense of beauty and quality. This was the start of a voyage of discovery, a wonderful hunt for rare objects. Little by little this gave us the good fortune of being able to surround ourselves with beautiful things. Maurice is now quietly retiring, at the peak of his profession, without a drum roll or fanfare. He has brought his friends great happiness, as to visit him, to spend time with him, to talk of beautiful objects, was such a privilege-even if we had not yet at that moment taken a decision on a new acquisition, despite its obvious temptations. Now things have changed. Place François 1er will no longer have the same charm- but the memories remain of all the wonderful moments that Maurice has given us. Hubert de Givenchy DANIEL ALCOUFFE Merci cher Maurice Quel plaisir de récapituler tout ce que le département des Objets d'art au Louvre doit à Maurice Segoura! Il fut constamment présent à nos côtés, pendant vingt-cinq ans, tantôt comme mécène en nous faisant des dons, tantôt comme antiquaire en nous proposant des objets, tantôt comme confident, toujours comme ami. Il inaugura ses relations avec nous en 1979, en offrant royalement au département le gigantesque miroir en argent, exécuté à Augsbourg à la fin du XVIIème siècle mais très français d'esprit, qui permet aux collections nationales d'évoquer l'éphémère mobilier d'argent de Louis XIV. Maurice devait nous donner aussi plus tard un tabouret en acajou provenant des Tuileries, chargé de tant d'informations qu'il constitue un véritable lexique des marques des Tuileries. La galerie Maurice Segoura, et ce toujours avec beaucoup d'élégance, permit au Louvre d'acquérir des oeuvres majeures. Plusieurs vitrines du département, concernant l'orfèvrerie des XVIIème et XVIIIème siècles ou la porcelaine des XVIIIème et XIXème siècles, renferment des objets découverts par Maurice et rendent compte à tout jamais de la qualité de ses choix. C'est aussi à Maurice que j'avais recours chaque fois que j'ai dû chercher un concours financier pour réaliser une acquisition. Chaque fois je me confiais à lui, en lui demandant s'il pouvait intervenir en notre faveur auprès des grands amateurs susceptibles de nous aider. Chaque fois Maurice m'écoutait avec sa bienveillance habituelle puis agissait efficacement. L'entrèe au Louvre de la spectaculaire toilette en cristal de la duchesse de Berry en 1989 constitue son chef-d'oeuvre dans ce domaine: il a non seulement trouvé et convaincu le mécène, M. Claude Ott, mais il a lui-même complété la participation du donateur. Nous n'avons en commun que des souvenirs heureux. Merci encore, cher Maurice. Daniel Alcouffe, Conservateur Général Honoraire au Musée du Louvre Thank you so much, dear Maurice What a pleasure to recall how much the department of decorative arts at the Louvre owes Maurice Segoura! He has been constantly by our side throughout the course of twenty five years, sometimes as a patron in his wonderful gifts to us, sometimes as an antiquaire in proposing pieces to us, and sometimes as a confidant, but always as a friend. His relationship with us began in 1979, when he made the magnificent offer to the department of a huge silver mirror, made in Augsburg at the end of the 17th Century, but very French in spirit, which enabled the national collections to evoke the short-lived silver furniture of Louis XIV. Maurice also later gave us a mahogany stool from the Tuileries, which was so well documented that it constituted a veritable lexicon of the identifying marks of the Tuileries. Maurice Segoura's gallery, and this always with the utmost elegance, enabled the Louvre to acquire some extraordinary objects. Several display cases in the department, containing silver from the 17th and 18th Centuries and porcelain from the 18th and 19th Centuries, contain objects discovered by Maurice, always bearing witness to the innate quality of the pieces he chose. And it was always to Maurice that I would turn if I had to seek financing for an acquisition. Each time I would confide in him, asking whether he might intercede on our behalf with one of the great amateurs who might come to our aid. Each time Maurice would listen to me with his customary kindness, and then acted with tremendous effectiveness. The arrival in 1989 at the Louvre of the spectacular dressing table set in cut crystal, made for the Duchesse de Berry, constitutes his crowning glory in this regard: he not only tracked down and convinced the donor, M. Claude Ott, but he himself even made a contribution to its acquisition. We have nothing but happy memories of you. Thank you once again, dear Maurice. Daniel Alcouffe, Conservateur Général Honoraire at the Musée du Louvre, Paris SUSAN GUTFREUND La première fois que j'ai franchi la porte de la galerie de Maurice Segoura, j'ai ressenti une impression étrange. Cette galerie d'antiquités ne ressemblait à aucune autre, il y avait un je ne sais quoi qui me donnait l'impression de voyager dans le temps, de me projeter réellement deux siècles en arrière. Les objects magnifiques, dotés des meilleurs pedigrées qu'un collectionneur puisse rêver, témoignaient de la qualité du choix, de la précision de l'oeil et de l'amour authentique que le maître des lieux portaient à ces commodes, chandeliers, lustres, meubles... L'élégance et la subtilité avec laquelle ces objects étaient présentés, me donnaient d'entrée de jeu les clefs pour percer les mystères de tant de beauté et rendaient mon regard plus profond. Mais il y avait plus que cela. Il y avait Maurice Segoura lui-même avec sa gentillesse et sa disponibilité. Fort de ses connaissances encyclopédiques il sublimait ses trouvailles. Chez Segoura, on n'achetait pas des objects mais des morceaux d'histoire. Affable, courtois, et remarquablement précis et professionnel, il instruisait des heures durant ses clients, néophytes ou collectionneurs, avec générosité et passion sans effleurer la prétention ni la pédanterie. Maurice Segoura est un personnage rare. Il est probablement le seul antiquaire à cultiver en même temps la perfection dans le choix des objects, l'intelligence dans l'art de faire partager ses enthousiasmes et le professionnalisme dans les affaires. C'est sans doute pourquoi tous ses clients sont devenus au fil du temps ses amis. J'ai beaucoup appris avec lui. - Susan Gutfreund The first time that I crossed the threshold of Maurice Segoura's gallery, it made an extraordinary impression on me. This antiques gallery was unlike any other, it gave you the amazing impression of being transported back in time two centuries. Magnificent objects, blessed with the finest pedigree that a collector could dream of, were all beautifully chosen, and bore witness to the precision of his eye and the real love that this master of his domain had for these commodes, chandeliers, candelabra, cabinets... The elegance and subtlety with which these pieces were displayed gave me the key to understanding the mysteries of such beauty, and made my eye so much more informed. But there was more than that. There was Maurice himself with his kindness and his receptiveness. With his wealth of encyclopedic knowledge he perfected his amazing discoveries. Chez Segoura, one did not merely buy objects, but pieces of history. Affable, courteous and remarkably precise and professional, he would spend countless hours with his clients, whether beginners or hardened collectors, always displaying generosity and passion and never giving off pretension or pedantry. Maurice Segoura is a rare individual. He is probably the only antiques dealer to maintain at the same time the perfect choice of objects, an innate feel for art which enabled him to share his passion, and a consummate professionalism in his business affairs. That is undoubtedly why over time his clients have so often also become his friends. I have learnt so much from him. - Susan Gutfreund When I was looking for something in particular, I was always sure to find it at Maurice Segoura's. He had important pieces for serious collectors or just something to fill a corner of a room. The selection was broad and the quality exceptional. Maurice's gallery was the epitome of the refined classical French taste. - Peter Marino BARON FRERE Comment évoquer mes relations avec Maurice Segoura en cinq ou six lignes? Mille souvenirs, mille anecdotes me viennent à l'esprit depuis le premier contact avec l'univers extraordinaire dont il m'a ouvert la porte, me guidant avec une érudition sans faille dans les arcanes d'un monde encore obscur pour l'amateur novice que j'étais. Pour lui, chaque objet, chaque meuble, chaque tapisserie a une histoire qu'il ne se lasse pas de raconter. Il a été un mentor d'une infinie patience, d'une gentillesse à toute épreuve - et Dieu sait si j'en ai usé et abusa© - et, surtout, il est devenu un véritable ami. Homme de culture et d'esprit, également passionné de musique, il est l'image même du parfait " honnête homme " du Siècle des Lumiéres dont il m'a fait découvrir et apprécier l'harmonie, le charme et la beauté. Je lui souhaite une belle et longue retraite. Je sais qu'elle sera bien remplie : ses centres d'intérêts sont aussi variés et passionnants que les nombreux projets qu'il a d'ores et déjà élaborés. Bon Vent à toi, Maurice ! Baron Frére How can one sum up my relationship with Maurice Segoura in five or six lines? A thousand memories, a thousand anecdotes come to mind since my first encounter with the extraordinary world whose doors he opened to me, guiding me with an unfailing erudition through the mysteries of a world which was still obscure for me, novice that I was. For him, each object, each piece of furniture, each tapestry had a history which he would never weary of telling. He was a mentor with infinite patience and an unfailing kindness-and Lord knows I did try his good nature- but above all, he became a true friend. A man of culture and wit, a passionate music-lover, he is the perfect model of the "honnête homme" of the Enlightenment, whose harmony, charm and beauty he had helped me to discover and appreciate. I wish him a long and happy retirement. I know it will be a full and rich one: his interests are as varied and passionate as the many projects he already has planned. Bonne voyage, Maurice! Baron Frère JUAN PABLO MOLYNEUX Eighteenth Century French furniture is dead. Art is dead. I presume that these two sentences that we hear often, come from the same mind. There is no question, 18th Century French furniture is art. There is no question that art is ticking and very much alive. There is no question in my mind that Maurice Segoura has been one of the most important proponents in keeping this art alive, ever expanding its horizons with his knowledge and extremely refined eye. This sale reflects the taste of an extraordinary man, as we know him - - Maurice Segoura, the antiquaire, M. Segoura, the connoisseur, and Maurice, the teacher and friend. I am very proud of putting together extraordinary objects and pieces of furniture from an extraordinary period of enlightenment. Extraordinary personalities, extraordinary craftsmanship, all this coming from the collection of, again, an extraordinary man. Whenever I visited Segoura's gallery at Place François I©or today in these rooms at Christie's, I feel nothing but respect and that sparkle (very French) that triggers my imagination when I think about any project that I'm working on. Maurice Segoura elevated the métier d'antiquaire to a level where it would be common to find curators and experts admiring and examining the pieces of furniture displayed throughout his gallery. The profound respect he showed whenever I visited with clients at his gallery, made everyone feel comfortable and interested. His retirement closes a door (a gilded door) to a hall of treasures. - Juan Pablo Molyneux Christie's is honored that Juan Pablo Molyneux will create a specially designed exhibition in Christie's galleries at Rockefeller Center for the Segoura sale. Juan Pablo, who is Chilean-born, Paris-educated and New York-based, heads the international design firm of J.P.Molyneux Studio Ltd. The many prestigious projects he has undertaken include the design of the Pavilion of Treaties at the Konstantinovsky Palace, St. Petersburg and the renovation and interior design of the Hotel Claude Passart in Paris. His acclaimed residential projects have been undertaken throughout the world, from Buenos Aires and Lyford Cay to Cap Ferrat, from New York, to Moscow, from Beverly Hills to London. His work has been extensively published in eminent design magazines such as Architectural Digest and House and Garden, and has been featured in a number of books on interiors, including a 1997 monograph on his work.

A LOUIS XVI SEVRES BISCUIT MEDALLION IN A GILTWOOD FRAME

LATE 18TH CENTURY, AFTER THE TERRACOTTA MEDALLION BY JEAN-BAPTISTE NINI (1717-1786)

细节

A LOUIS XVI SEVRES BISCUIT MEDALLION IN A GILTWOOD FRAME
LATE 18TH CENTURY, AFTER THE TERRACOTTA MEDALLION BY JEAN-BAPTISTE NINI (1717-1786)
Depicting Catherine II the Great, Empress of all the Russias, within a Louis XVI frame carved with laurel and egg-and-dart within a beaded edge surmounted by a laurel wreath,
10¾ in. (27 cm.) high, 8¼ in. (21 cm.) wide

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This lot is offered without reserve.

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This lot will be sold without reserve